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United Leyte plants being taken over by IPPs by year end

United Leyte plants being taken over by IPPs by year end Tongonan, Leyte Geothermal power plant, Philippines
Francisco Rojas 27 Aug 2014

PSALM auctioned off ULGPP’s contracted capacity in “strips” and “bulk,” offering a total of 200 MW for strips of energy and the remaining capacity for the bulk energy earlier this year.

Winning bidders can start earning from the privatized segment of the Unified Leyte geothermal power plant (ULGPP) next year with the turnover of the contracted capacities of the plant expected by year’s end.

“The target turnover of the ULGPP’s strips of energy will be the last quarter of this year,” said Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr., PSALM president and chief executive officer.

PSALM auctioned off ULGPP’s contracted capacity in “strips” and “bulk,” with the state-run firm offering a total of 200 megawatts (MW) for strips of energy and the remaining capacity for the bulk energy.

“The ULGPP strips of energy were awarded to the winning bidders early this year,” said Mr. Ledesma.

These bidders were: Unified Leyte Geothermal Energy, Inc. (ULGEI) for 40 MW; FDC Utilities, Inc. (40 MW); Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. (40 MW); Aboitiz Energy Solutions, Inc. (40 MW); Good Friends Hydro Resources Corp. (20 MW); Vivant Energy Corp. (17 MW); and Waterfront Mactan Casino Hotel Inc. (3 MW).

As independent power producer administrators, winning firms will manage the contracted output of the power plant, which is to be traded at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

Turnover of the contracted capacities of the plant was not done immediately because the ULGPP was damaged by typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) when it hit the Visayas last year.

The ULGPP complex — which straddles Ormoc City and municipality of Kananga — is composed of the 125-MW Upper Mahiao plant, 232.5-MW Malitbog plant, 180-MW Mahanagdong plant, and 51-MW optimization plants.

The remaining capacity of the plant — representing the bulk energy — was supposed to be handed over ULGEI but the company withdrew its bid, also citing damage caused by the typhoon.

Source: Business World Online Website